Nominee of New Party or Party Without Ballot Access

(Amended to reflect Federal District Court Order of 3/1/2012)

If you are a member of a new party or if your party's candidates for statewide office in the last general election received less than five percent of the vote, your party must qualify for ballot access. Tex. Elec. Code Ann. §§ 181.0041, 181.005. Your party must register (PDF) with the Secretary of State's Office by January 2, 2012, and needs the support of 49,799 qualified voters. If you hope to become the nominee of a new party for a particular office, you must file an application for nomination (PDF) with the county or state party chair, as appropriate (see chart) by March 9, 2012. If you receive a majority of the votes cast at the county, district, or state convention, as appropriate, your name will appear on the general election ballot in November if your party has obtained ballot access.

See Section 162.015 for more details about how primary voting or candidacy affects (or does not affect) candidacy.